Header for water tube boilers



Sept. 1, 1931.

.B. B. WHITTAM HEADER FOR WATER TUBE BOILERS 2 Sheds-Sheet 1 Filed Deb.10, 1927 I NVENTOR ATTQRNEYS Sept. l, 1931. a. a. wifr'mm 1,821,

HEADER FOR WATER TUBE BOILERS Filed Dec. 10. l927 2 Sheets-Shoat 2 E 5 4Fig-'5 E |NVENTOR BY I ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 1, 1931 STATES PATENTOFFICE BENJAMIN B. VJHITTAM, or ELIZABETH, NEw JEEsEY, AssIoNoE TO THEBABcooK &

WILCOX COMPANY, E BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEYHEADER FOR WATER TUBE BOILERS Application filed December 10, 1927.Serial No. 239,059.

This invention-relates to headers for water tube boilers in which thenumber of hand holes are greatly reduced below the number usuallyrequired in such headers. The invention will be understood from thedescription in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig.lis a vertical section through an illustrative embodiment of theinvention Fig. 2 is a section on an enlarged scale through the header;Fig. 3 is a front view of' the header; Fig. i is a front view of amodification; Fig. 5 is a side view corresponding to Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is afront view of another modification; and Fig. 7 is a section through themodification shown in Fig. 6.

In the drawings reference character 1 indicates the steam and water drumof a water tube boiler of a well known type. The water space of thesteam and water drum 1 is connected by nipples 2 to downtake headers 3.A bank of inclined tubes 24 connects the downtake headers 3 to uptakeheaders 5 and rows of circulating tubes 6 connect the upper portions ofthe headers 5 to the steam space of the steam and water drum 1.

In the illustrative embodiment shown in Figs. 2 and 3 each one of theuptake headers 5 has a straight upper portion and a corrugated lowerportion. The ends of the bank of tubes 4: are expanded into thecorrugated portions of the headers 5. The uptake headers 5 are providedwith a straight wall along the front side in which wall handholes areformed. The rear sides of the headers 5 are provided with steppedportions so that'one handhole serves for a plurality of tubes for thepurpose. of inserting tube cleaners into the ends of the tube and alsofor the purpose of introducing expanders to expand'the tubes in place inthe wall of the header. The upper portion of each header 5 is providedwith a single handhole 7 opposite the ends of the tubes 6. The ends ofthe tubes 6 are bent as shown atS and 9 so that the center line of theends of these tubes will be directed toward the handhole 7 and passthrough the same. The lower row of tubes 6 is so located with respect tothe handhole 7 that a tube in this lower row can be expanded into itsheader without altering the position of that portion '4. of tubes.

of the header wall. However, in order to permit the upper row of tubes 6to enter the header wall perpendicular to the surface thereof the wallis stepped or bent as shown at 10 so that a line perpendicular to thisportionlO will pass through the handhole 7.

' The lower or corrugated portion ofeach header 5 is provided withhandholes 11,'each one of which serves three tubes of the bank of threetubes is straight and the center line thereof is in line with thecorresponding handhole 11. The wall of the header opposite the handhole11 is inclined as shown at 13 so that the bent upper end 14 of the uppertube of the set of three will enter the header at ri ht angles to thewall and the projection of the center line of the end of this tube willbe in line with the opening 11 as seen in Fig. 2. In a similar mannerthe portion 15 of the header 5 isbent or inclined in the oppositedirection so that the bent end 16 of the lower tube of the set of threetubes will enter the header at right an les to the wall thereof and theprojection of t e center line of the end of this tube will also be inline with the opening 11 as seen in Fig. 2. This permits the three tubesto be expanded in place and be cleaned the center lines of the ends ofthe tubes if extended pass between the upper and lower edges'of theopenings 11 as shown in Fig. 2

- and piercean imaginary plane parallel to the wall of the header inwhich the holes 11 are located a short distance outside of the headerbetween the transverse lines that are tangent to the upper and lowerwalls of the openings. The portions of the headers which connect thestraight walls thereof with the walls into which the tubes are expandedare called the edges of the headers.

In the modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the handholes 18in thecorrugated portion The middle tube 12 of' each set of the headers 5accommodate three tubes each. In this modification the opposite wall ofthe header is bent or formed as shown at 19 as a cylindrical surfaceformed on a cylindcr whose axis lies a short distance outside of theholes 11. The middle tube 21 is straight and enters the cylindricalsurface perpendicular thereto while the upper and lower tubes of headers5 are bent as shown at 20 and 22 to enter the cylindrical surfaceperpendicularly and with the center lines of the ends of all three tubespassing wit iin the upper and lower limits of the handhole opening.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the straight portion of eachone of the headers 5' is provided with handholes 25 each one of whichaccommodates three tubes. The opposite wall of the header is bent orstepped as indicated at 26 so that the central tube 28 can be leftstraight and enter perpendicularly in line with the opening 25, whilethe ends of the adjacent tubes of the set are bent, as indicated at 27and 29, to enter the wall perpendicularly and have their central linesdirected toward the opening 25. The portion 26 of the wall of the header5 is shaped slightly differently so that the lowermost tube can bestraight, while the other two are bent, and all enter perpendicularlywith their center lines passing through the opening 25.

The lower or corrugated portion of each header 5 is provided withhandholes 30. each one of which accommodates three tubes. The oppositewall of the header is stepped as indicated at 31 to provide surfacesinto which the straight central tube 3.3 enters perpenside thereof tubesentering the Opposite side of said header spaced longitudinally alongsaid header from each other, the center lines of the ends of a pluralityof longitudinally spaced tubes crossing a plane parallel to said firstnamed side near said handholes on a line at right angles to the edges ofsaid header.

4;. A header, handholes provided in one side thereof, the other side ofsaid header being stepped to provide a plurality of surfaces facing eachof said handholes, said surfaces being located along said header onopposite sides of lines )erpendicular to the side in which saidhandholes are located and each of said surfaces being provided with atube seat.

5. A header substantially rectangular in cross section, handholesprovided in one side thereof, tubes entering the opposite side of saidheader spaced longitudinally along said header from each other, the endsof a plurality of longitudinally spaced tubes pointing towards eachhandhole.

6. A header having aflat straight side, handholes provided in said side,tubes entering the opposite side of said header spaced. longitudinallyalong said header from each other, said tubes being divided into sets oflongitudinally disposed tubes, each set having the ends of its tubespointing towards a single handhole.

BENJAMIN B. lVHITTAM.

dioularly and the adjacent bent ends 32 and 34 of the other tubes alsoenter perpendicularly to the surface with the center lines of the endsof the tubes passing within the upper and lower limits of thecorresponding opening 30.

By the present invention a large number of handholes are dispensed within uptake headers, and the tubes can all be taken out through thehandholes in the downtake headers, as illustrated in dotted lines inFig. 1 for one of the tubes.

r I claim:

1. A header, handholes provided in one side thereof. tubes entering theopposite side of said header spaced longitudinally along said headerfrom each other, the ends of a plurality of longitudinally spaced tubesbeing bent in opposite directions and pointing towards each .handhole.

2. A header, handholes provided in one side thereof. tubes entering theopposite side of said header spaced longitudinally along said headerfrom each "other, the ends of aplurality of longitudinally spaced tubesbeing bent in opposite directions and pointing towards each handhole andentering the side of said header perpendicularly.

' (3. A header, han'dholes provided in one CHO

